Transocean and Dolphin Drilling Make New Bid for Seadrill
Offshore drilling rig contractors Transocean Ltd and Dolphin Drilling have made a new offer to buy the assets of stricken rival Seadrill Ltd, Dolphin's chief executive said on Friday.Oslo-listed Seadrill, founded by Norwegian-born tycoon John Fredriksen, is seeking to emerge from U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings under an alternative financial plan filed in court last month."I can confirm that Dolphin and Transocean submitted an updated bid yesterday," Dolphin Chief Executive Bjoernar Iversen told Reuters.Seadrill's Oslo-listed shares traded 5.5% up by 1425 GMT…
Seadrill Asks Creditors to Write Off More Than 85% of its Debts
Offshore drilling rig contractor Seadrill has asked creditors to write off more than 85% of its debts in exchange for a 99% stake in the reorganized company, a court filing showed.The Oslo-listed firm controlled by Norwegian-born billionaire John Fredriksen in February filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, the second time it has done so in four years.Seadrill has in the past year written off billions of dollars worth of assets due to a bleak outlook for the oil sector…
Fredriksen Seeks Investors for Empire
Industrialist John Fredriksen is seeking investors to take larger stakes in his companies and could relinquish control of operations as part of a plan to reduce his workload, the Norwegian-born 75-year-old told two newspapers on Friday.It was the clearest sign to date of a succession plan for Fredriksen, whose net worth has been estimated at more than $12 billion.His self-made business empire includes oil-tanker firm Frontline, dry bulk shipper Golden Ocean and rig owner Seadrill, as well as fish farmer Mowi and other companies."There are several ways this could be done," he told business daily Finansavisen, while adding he did not plan to leave day-to-day operations to his twin daughters."They should not have to live with the work load I've had," he added.Instead, Fredriksen could seek to
Norway Invites Coastal Ferry Route Bids
The Norwegian government is inviting shipping firms to compete for the right to provide a transport service for goods and passengers along the country's coastline, with 34 port calls from Bergen to Kirkenes, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said in a statement on Monday. "We've seen substantial interest from potential bidders," the ministry said, without mentioning numbers or names.
Frontline Shares Take A Tumble
Shares in Norwegian tanker group Frontline fell 5.3 percent on weak tanker rates, delays to scrapping of old tankers and a negative media and broker report, traders said. Frontline shares were down 9.0 Norwegian crowns ($0.996) at 161 at 0844 GMT after tumbling from a recent high of 190. The total share index of the Oslo bourse was down 0.7 percent. A meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) last week agreed to eliminate all single-hulled tankers by 2021, later than a widely anticipated date of 2015. "It will take longer to scrap old tankers under the IMO rules," First Securities analyst Jarle Sjo said.
